2020– 21 2020– 2020–21 Music Classical Classical Music 1 2019– 20 2019– Classical Music 21 2020– 2020–21 Welcome to our 2020–21 Contents Classical Music season. Artists in the spotlight 3 We are committed to presenting a season unexpected sounds in unexpected places across Six incredible artists you’ll want to know better that connects audiences with the greatest the Culture Mile. We will also continue to take Deep dives 9 international artists and ensembles, as part steps to address the boundaries of historic Go beneath the surface of the music in these themed of a programme that crosses genres and imbalances in music, such as shining a spotlight days and festivals boundaries to break new ground. on 400 years of female composition in The Ghosts, gold-diggers, sorcerers and lovers 19 This year we will celebrate Thomas Adès’s Future is Female. Travel to mystical worlds and new frontiers in music’s 50th birthday with orchestras including the Together with our resident and associate ultimate dramatic form: opera London Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, orchestras and ensembles – the London Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Awesome orchestras 27 Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Academy of Ancient Agile chamber ensembles and powerful symphonic juggernauts and conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Music, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Australian Choral highlights 35 Gustavo Dudamel, Franz Welser-Möst and the Chamber Orchestra – we are looking forward Epic anthems and moving songs to stir the soul birthday boy himself. Joyce DiDonato will to another year of great music, great artists and return to the Barbican in the company of the great experiences. We hope that you will choose Discover the Barbican 41 LSO, Il Pomo d’Oro and the Orchestra of the to join us along the way. Get more out of your visit Metropolitan Opera while Pappano and Friends Huw Humphreys Piano virtuosos 47 Sir Antonio Pappano will see collaborating Head of Music Six superb pianists putting our pianos through their paces with Jonas Kaufmann, Anita Rachvelishvili and the Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Songs to make your heart sing 55 Santa Cecilia. We will also be handing the keys Discover the infinite versatility of the voice of Milton Court to the one-of-a-kind Finnish Classical futures 61 violinist Pekka Kuusisto as Artist-in-Residence. Introducing the next generation of musicians, conductors With Arts without Boundaries as our mantra, and audiences we will be blurring the lines of theatre and Booking information 73 music through collaborations such as An Where and how to book, multibuys, and other discounts Anatomy of Melancholy while our free classical weekender Sound Unbound returns, juxtaposing Classical Music Classical Music Classical Music 2 3 Artists in the spotlight 2020– 21 2020– 2020– 21 2020– 13 Sep, 12 & 20 Oct, 7 Mar, 1 Nov, 23 Mar, 16 May, 25 Jun 21 & 22 May, 28 Jun Pappano & Friends Thomas Adès at 50 The great conductor and pianist brings together A season-long celebration of one of the UK’s artists and influences that are dear to his heart. greatest contemporary composers. Highlights He continues a long-standing partnership include his Dante-inspired, showstopping ballet guest – conducting the LSO, makes a nod to music trilogy, his crowning operatic achievement his family’s Italian roots with his Santa Cecilia The Tempest, and a special concert with our Chorus, and invites superstar Jonas Kaufmann Resident Orchestra, the London Symphony and superstar-in-the-making Anita Rachvelishvili Orchestra, to mark his 50th. to share the spotlight with him in two intimate recitals. 21 Oct, 1 & 5 Nov LSO Artist Portrait: 10 Dec, 26 Feb, 4 & 5 May Christian Tetzlaff Pekka Kuusisto: Milton Court An incredibly versatile musician equally at Artist-in-Residence home in Classical, Romantic and contemporary We’ve given the keys to Milton Court to the repertoire, violinist Christian Tetzlaff turns his one-of-a-kind virtuoso who possesses ‘the most focus to the 20th century and three of its great personal sound of any classical violinist now violin concertos – by Elgar, Szymanowski and alive’ (Telegraph). Prepare for a rollercoaster Shostakovich. ride taking in traditional Finnish folk; music by Nico Muhly, Philip Glass, Andrea Tarrodi and 1 Nov, 5 Dec, 29 Jun Missy Mazzoli; a date with the Norwegian Joyce DiDonato’s Chamber Orchestra; and Messiaen’s ecstatic Favourite Things Quartet for the End of Time. The inspirational mezzo joins us three times: 21–23 May as a special guest of Sir Antonio Pappano in Los Angeles his Pappano & Friends series; singing extracts from Berlioz’s Les Troyens with the Orchestra of Philharmonic Residency the Metropolitan Opera; and in her latest solo Gustavo Dudamel and our International © Simon Pauly project My Favourite Things, performing a Orchestral Partner perform titanic symphonies hand-picked selection of her favourite arias from Beethoven and Mahler alongside from the dawn of opera and the Baroque European premieres of new works by Daníel masters that followed. Bjarnason and Gabriella Smith. They also bring Thomas Adès’s Dante-inspired ballet music to life, while Dudamel passes the conductor’s baton to Adès himself in a free late-night concert from their cutting-edge contemporary classical Green Umbrella series. Classical Music Classical Music 4 5 All concerts take place in the Hall unless otherwise stated 9–12 Sep, The Pit An Anatomy of Melancholy 2020 Sep Embrace the pleasure and pain of John Dowland’s songs in this intimate and absorbing theatrical piece, a forensic examination of the consolation that beauty can provide for melancholy, sadness and depression. Iestyn Davies countertenor Thomas Dunford lute Netia Jones director Sat 12 Sep 3pm Tickets £35 plus booking fee* Supported by Wellcome, Classical Futures Europe and the Creative Europe Programme of the Jess Gillam © Kaupo Kikkas European Union Co-produced by the Barbican and Lincoln Center Sun 13 Sep 10am, Hall & LSO St Luke’s Tue 15 & Thu 17 Sep 7.30pm New York LSO Discovery Day: LSO/Rattle: Wozzeck Part of Barbican Presents and Inside Out: a year Great British composers Berg Wozzeck (concert performance) exploring the relationship between our inner lives of the 20th century and creativity London Symphony Orchestra Attend a morning rehearsal conducted by Sir Sir Simon Rattle conductor Simon Rattle followed by talks and chamber Anja Kampe Marie Fri 11 Sep 1pm, LSO St Luke’s music in the afternoon. Christian Gerhaher Wozzeck Jess Gillam Thomas Blondelle Tamburmajor Tickets £22 (£16 afternoon only) plus booking fee* John Tomlinson Doktor ECHO Rising Stars Peter Hoare Hauptmann Pedro Itturalde Pequeña Czarda Sun 13 Sep 7pm Evan Le Roy Johnson Andres Poulenc Sonata for Oboe and Piano London Symphony Alexander Kiechle Handwerkbusch Graham Fitkin Gate Tomasz Kumiega Handwerkbusch Marcello Oboe Concerto in C minor Orchestra/Rattle Anna Lapkovskaja Margret John Harle RANT! Thomas Adès at 50 Graham Clark Der Narr Guildhall School Chorus Jess Gillam saxophone (nominated by Mark-Anthony Turnage Last Song for Olly Sage Gateshead) (world premiere; LSO commission) Tickets £18–60 (£10/15 Wildcards) plus booking fee* Tickets £12 plus booking fee* Tippett Piano Concerto Part of LSO multibuy Thomas Adès ‘Luxury Suite’ from Powder Part of Barbican Presents Her Face Britten The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle conductor Peter Donohoe piano Tickets £18–60 (£10/15 Wildcards) plus booking fee* * Booking fees Part of LSO multibuy The following booking fees are applicable per transaction: £3 online, £4 by telephone. Classical Music There is no booking fee when tickets are purchased in person from the Box Office. Barbican Members & Young Barbican don't September pay booking fees 7 Fri 18 Sep 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s Fri 25 Sep 7.30pm LSO Discovery: Free Friday Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Lunchtime Concert Chorus & Jazz Orchestra Free event Programme to include: 2020–21 Sep 2020 Sep R Strauss Festliches Präludium Walton Belshazzar’s Feast Mon 21 Sep 7.30pm Elington Such Sweet Thunder City of Birmingham Symphony Guildhall Symphony Orchestra Orchestra/Gražinyte˙ -Tyla & Chorus Richard Farnes conductor Ravel La valse Sibelius Violin Concerto Tickets £10–15 plus booking fee* Stravinsky The Rite of Spring City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Sun 27 Sep 11am, LSO St Luke’s Mirga Gražinyte ˙ -Tyla conductor Nicola Benedetti violin LSO Discovery Singing Day Tickets £15–56 plus booking fee* Come and sing Orff’s Carmina Burana (accompanied by piano). Part of Members International Orchestras multibuy Simon Halsey conductor Part of Barbican Presents Tickets £22 plus booking fee* Wed 23 Sep 7.30pm Be first to book LSO/Rattle Ligeti Atmosphères the Classical Music Wagner ‘Prelude’ to Lohengrin Webern Six Pieces Wagner ‘Prelude’ and ‘Liebestod’ from Tristan 2020–21 season and Isolde Brahms Symphony No 2 Experience more world-class music for less as London Symphony Orchestra a Barbican Member Sir Simon Rattle conductor Members Plus priority booking opens: 9 March Tickets £18–60 (£10/15 Wildcards) plus booking fee* Members priority booking opens: 11 March Part of LSO multibuy Public booking opens: 16 March Become a member and enjoy up to a week of priority booking for this season, save with multibuy discounts and no booking fees, access exclusive members’ events including receptions and open rehearsals, and more. Don’t miss our Classical Music Season Members’ Launch event on 5 March. Join us for a discussion about the new season with Huw Humphreys (Head of Music) and Paul Keene (Classical Music Programmer). To find out more and book your place, please visit the website or call the Box Office. Places will be allocated on * Booking fees a first-come, first served basis. The following booking fees are applicable Join now Classical Music per transaction: £3 online, £4 by telephone.